Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo announced that two flotillas from the Barents Sea and the Black Sea are heading for the Mediterranean:
One, based in the Barents sea near Finland, is led by the Admiral Kuznetsov carrier. The 67,500-ton Kreml class aircraft carrier supports strategic missile carrying submarines, surface ships and maritime missile-carrying aircraft of the Russian fleet. The ship is capable of engaging surface, subsurface and airborne targets. The ship has the capacity to support 16 Yakovlev Yak-41M (Freestyle) and 12 Sukhoi Su-27K (Flanker) fixed wing aircraft and a range of helicopters including four Kamov Ka-27-LD (Helix), 18 Kamov Ka-27 PLO, and two Ka-27-S. The ship has a Granit anti-ship missile system equipped with 12 surface to surface missile launchers. The air defence gun and missile system includes the Klinok air defence missile system with 24 vertical launchers and 192 anti-air missiles. The system defends the ship against anti-ship missiles, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and surface ships. The ship is equipped with an Udav-1 integrated anti-submarine system with 60 anti-submarine rockets. Is accompanied by two guided missile destroyers, the Admiral Chabanenko and Admiral Levchenko, with two supply ships in tow, one a tanker.
The second is the guided nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great, one of the biggest warships afloat, with three accompanying ships. They come from a joint Caribbean exercise with Venezuela.
According to the Russian Navy spokesman, the two groups will merge upon entering the Mediterranean.Defense : Defense News and Photos - chicagotribune.comwashingtonpost.com

The U. S. has now deployed:
1. the USS John C. Stennis, which carries 80 fighter-bombers and 3,200 sailors and airmen and leads a strike group..
This carrier joins two already there, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which patrols the northern Arabian Sea, part of whose strike group cruises opposite Iranís southern coast; and the USS Iwo Jima, which carries a large marine contingent on board.
2. New to these waters, according to military sources, is the Destroyer Squadron 50/CTF 55, which has two task forces: Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) for strikes against warships and the rapid deployment of marines to flashpoint arenas; and Mine Countermeasures Division 31, which stands ready to prevent New Delhi or Islamabad from mining the Arabian Sea routes connecting their ports. Those routes are vital waterways for US marine traffic supporting the war in Afghanistan.
3. To manage this armada, the command and control vessel, USS Mount Whitney, has been brought over from the Mediterranean.
4. Four nuclear submarines.

Analysis from a certain Israeli military man :

I have no doubt Israel would have to fight Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria along with Iran. It will not be conventional. This war will be meant as the end of Israel, but Israel will survive. It is much better than risking complete destruction in a year for failure to act.
The last war against the Hezbollah, Israelís military had their hands tied. They could not act. The army did not take take offensive action. That is the only reason they looked to have lost. Short incursions by small task forces did not do the job. A full-scale invasion against the mere 10,000 Hezbollah would have been a cake walk. Olmert never acted and never sought a full-scale invasion.
Israel could take out Syria and Hamas with its reserves and a squadron of F-15iís and Iran cannot bring an army to Israel to fight. Needless to say, the Hezbollah has 40,000 missiles, but if Israel can move its army north they would take out the threat. What will happen is the missile attacks against Israel from all enemies will be debilitating and when combined with chemical weapons and maybe one nuke, Israel will have great losses. However, the retaliatory strikes against Iran and Syria will reduce the population of arabs and persians by a few million as Israel would retaliate with neutron bombs.
I can foresee the U.S. joining in on airstrikes against Iran merely for retaliation of strikes on U.S. bases. In the end, things will calm down, the World will be shocked by the ferocity of the attacks, and then a lull will happen. I would be more concerned with Russia and China and their actions once the arab nations and persia are made into parking lots.

Re: Russia getting ready for action in the Middle East and inside info

Quote:

Originally Posted by godssecret

Russian navy squadron sets off for Mediterranean

Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo announced that two flotillas from the Barents Sea and the Black Sea are heading for the Mediterranean:
One, based in the Barents sea near Finland, is led by the Admiral Kuznetsov carrier. The 67,500-ton Kreml class aircraft carrier supports strategic missile carrying submarines, surface ships and maritime missile-carrying aircraft of the Russian fleet. The ship is capable of engaging surface, subsurface and airborne targets. The ship has the capacity to support 16 Yakovlev Yak-41M (Freestyle) and 12 Sukhoi Su-27K (Flanker) fixed wing aircraft and a range of helicopters including four Kamov Ka-27-LD (Helix), 18 Kamov Ka-27 PLO, and two Ka-27-S. The ship has a Granit anti-ship missile system equipped with 12 surface to surface missile launchers. The air defence gun and missile system includes the Klinok air defence missile system with 24 vertical launchers and 192 anti-air missiles. The system defends the ship against anti-ship missiles, aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and surface ships. The ship is equipped with an Udav-1 integrated anti-submarine system with 60 anti-submarine rockets. Is accompanied by two guided missile destroyers, the Admiral Chabanenko and Admiral Levchenko, with two supply ships in tow, one a tanker.
The second is the guided nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great, one of the biggest warships afloat, with three accompanying ships. They come from a joint Caribbean exercise with Venezuela.
According to the Russian Navy spokesman, the two groups will merge upon entering the Mediterranean.Defense : Defense News and Photos - chicagotribune.comwashingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

The U. S. has now deployed:
1. the USS John C. Stennis, which carries 80 fighter-bombers and 3,200 sailors and airmen and leads a strike group..
This carrier joins two already there, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which patrols the northern Arabian Sea, part of whose strike group cruises opposite Iranís southern coast; and the USS Iwo Jima, which carries a large marine contingent on board.
2. New to these waters, according to military sources, is the Destroyer Squadron 50/CTF 55, which has two task forces: Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) for strikes against warships and the rapid deployment of marines to flashpoint arenas; and Mine Countermeasures Division 31, which stands ready to prevent New Delhi or Islamabad from mining the Arabian Sea routes connecting their ports. Those routes are vital waterways for US marine traffic supporting the war in Afghanistan.
3. To manage this armada, the command and control vessel, USS Mount Whitney, has been brought over from the Mediterranean.
4. Four nuclear submarines.

Analysis from a certain Israeli military man :

I have no doubt Israel would have to fight Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria along with Iran. It will not be conventional. This war will be meant as the end of Israel, but Israel will survive. It is much better than risking complete destruction in a year for failure to act.
The last war against the Hezbollah, Israelís military had their hands tied. They could not act. The army did not take take offensive action. That is the only reason they looked to have lost. Short incursions by small task forces did not do the job. A full-scale invasion against the mere 10,000 Hezbollah would have been a cake walk. Olmert never acted and never sought a full-scale invasion.
Israel could take out Syria and Hamas with its reserves and a squadron of F-15iís and Iran cannot bring an army to Israel to fight. Needless to say, the Hezbollah has 40,000 missiles, but if Israel can move its army north they would take out the threat. What will happen is the missile attacks against Israel from all enemies will be debilitating and when combined with chemical weapons and maybe one nuke, Israel will have great losses. However, the retaliatory strikes against Iran and Syria will reduce the population of arabs and persians by a few million as Israel would retaliate with neutron bombs.
I can foresee the U.S. joining in on airstrikes against Iran merely for retaliation of strikes on U.S. bases. In the end, things will calm down, the World will be shocked by the ferocity of the attacks, and then a lull will happen. I would be more concerned with Russia and China and their actions once the arab nations and persia are made into parking lots.

Could you please provide the direct link to the article that you reference at the Chicago Tribune?